Domestic CCTV

roundthebend

Had our little metal trailer stolen last week and it's made me have a serious think about external security around the house.

We live facing onto a street, with a shared driveway going up the side of our house to 3 others and our garage at the back of our garden. Along the same side of our house we have a bit of land that originally had plants and grass but we're converting to gravel for parking. The trailer was propped up at the very back of that against our garden wall, and it seems the thieves just walked up and took it at 5:30pm and wheeled it away in broad daylight. They were spotted by several people and the trailer has been located, though not yet repatriated!

Assuming I get it back, first I'm going to put a proper chain and padlock on it. But I also think that a CCTV camera covering the driveway would be a good deterrent. I doubt that cumbersome objects like trailers, cars, garden furniture etc could be stolen via any other route.

I'm going to talk to all the neighbours to get their views, but I wanted to know if anyone has setup their own system at home on a tight budget (<£100) and could offer some pointers?

I've seen systems on ebay for £60 or thereabouts. Biggest concern is how to wire it in for power (regulations) and how to get the pictures transmitted to our TV/laptop/Hard Disk recorder - how to run the cables etc.

Chalky

And what are you going to do when you see someone on your CCTV? This is a serious question.

Nikko

"...But I also think that a CCTV camera covering the driveway would be a good deterrent."

OP doesn't necessarily have to DO anything apart from perhaps send give the images to the Police  if anything were to happen again.

roundthebend

Chalky said:

And what are you going to do when you see someone on your CCTV? This is a serious question.

I think firstly it's a deterrent. A police officer friend says it is enough to put off even serious thieves/burglars. Now, assuming that it doesn't put them off, then I'd simply turn the video over to the police if they wanted it. Hence why I only want to spend <£100 on it. I doubt it's worth spending more.

Fretwired

Just put up a dummy camera ..

Adam_MD

Fretwired;1118310" said:

Just put up a dummy camera ..

We had 2 attempted break ins in 2 weeks and have had no problems since I put up 2 dummy cameras one at each of the Windows they tried to get in. Only cost £5 from Amazon and they look excellent.

Chalky

Adam_MD;1118314" said:

[quote="Fretwired;1118310"]Just put up a dummy camera ..

We had 2 attempted break ins in 2 weeks and have had no problems since I put up 2 dummy cameras one at each of the Windows they tried to get in. Only cost £5 from Amazon and they look excellent. [/quote]

That's the right answer. I knew a bloke a few years ago who put in a CCTV system and his wife made him take it out after a month. Had it showing on a screen in the kitchen and the wife kept thinking she'd seen something on it. Drove her nuts and made her more scared! Plenty of lights and dummy camera did the trick.

strumjoughlamps

roundthebend said:

Assuming I get it back, first I'm going to put a proper chain and padlock on it.

and a ground/wall anchor

spark240

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/sentient-4-channel-cctv-kit-with-2-bullet-camerasused-b94qk

EricTheWeary

If it's opportunistic crime and one person has a deterrent of some sort and the person down the road doesn't then Bob's yer uncle. Although, stealing CCTV cameras isn't exactly unknown... :bz

roundthebend

Good news, we got the trailer back. Weird thieves, they had done a really thin coat of black spray paint on it, but hadn't removed my registration plate! PCSO thought it was funny too. We didn't even need to do much to get it back, the PCSO tailgated someone through the secure gate on the car park, then she let me in by driving up to the gate and reversing back again. I hooked it up and drove off. Simples.

Right, so I have a ground anchor attached to the wall but rarely chained the trailer up because I didn't have a long enough or strong enough chain. I'll fix that.

CCTV dummy cameras is a good idea. Might get real ones but not connect them.

chillidoggy

Sambostar will pop round with an AK47 once he's out of the cooler.

Rocker

Don't skimp on the security of your property my friend.  Get a decent CCTV system, it will last for several years.  And hardened criminals can recognise a dummy camera or a dummy alarm box a mile away.  Nothing wrong with fitting a microswitch behind the camera.  If the camera is removed, a bell inside the house will ring.  Very basic stuff but it works.

Adam_MD

Rocker;1118921" said:

And hardened criminals can recognise a dummy camera or a dummy alarm box a mile away.

Only if you buy a shit one. My old company sold cctv systems and some dummy cameras look very realistic.

My current stores have dummy cameras mixed in with real units to make it seem like we have better coverage than we do you cant tell the difference between them unless you remove the covers.

roundthebend

Any links to realistic looking cameras?

martinw

I got an Aldi camera for under £60. It's pretty good, with infra red night vision, wireless, waterproof and decent range. You get free software with it, and there's a smartphone app.

You don't need a DVR if you have a PC that you keep on at night. Download iSpy for free, and you can set it up to record on motion detect.

I mounted the camera and junction box on an external wall, near an upstairs window. Drilled a hole in the bedroom window frame, USB/power cable through to a mains socket, connected to PC wirelessly.

It works well, and the infra red lighting LEDs can be seen clearly at night, so it must have a decent deterrent factor, which in my mind is it's main function. You're deterring morons after all; any intelligent person will just cover their face and get on with it.

EDIT: BTW when I had a motorbike trailer, I used a wall anchor with a long, plastic-covered wire rope about 3/4" diameter and padlock.

PolarityMan

Did dopers steal your airstream?

ESBlonde

I had a small metal trailor on my drive, when I couldn't chain it to an wall or post I'd chain it to a couple of old car wheels and a couple of pallets in such a way that they couldn't be put in the trailer and you couldn't tow it away either. Over the years I've tightened up the security about the house, new locks that resist tampering on the house. back gates locked and sheds locked.
A neighbour had CCTV which he fitted himself (own company) but the restriction is you cannot film anyone on public propery so the footpath outside your door will feature no more than feet until the venture up to your door.